A summer to remember – reporting on our summer programme

Every summer we try and make it one to remember for the young people we work with. This year was more important than ever.

Did you know that 37% percent of children living in Battersea are already living below the poverty line? (Census, update 2015). Coronavirus has increased feelings of isolation, many families have lost their jobs due to the pandemic and are living in food poverty, this in turn is taking its toll on physical and mental health. The summer holidays are normally difficult for our young people. But we knew things could be even worse for them if we didn’t step up and support them with something extraordinary.

We made a short video about it here.

So back in June we asked our supporters to help us out and they certainly did. Together we raised a stonking £18,000. We can’t say it enough but THANK YOU!!!

We had a fantastic summer. Josh and Nadine, who run our Homework Clubs for our Love to Learn education team, have put together a colourful report highlighting what we got up to. Download our summer report here: KLS Love to Learn – Summer report.

“Thank you so much for inviting my children, we would have just stayed at home all summer if they didn’t come to Love to Learn. They were so happy and counting the days until they could come again.” Love to Learn parent

Here’s a snippet from our summer report

“With generous funding and amazing volunteers we delivered a summer of activities for children and young people across our entire Love to Learn programme. We ran a range of sports, cooking and arts and crafts activities Monday to Friday throughout August. After a long time at home it was fantastic for the kids to get out and enjoy the good weather. It was super busy. We had loads of ice cream and pizza, ran around a lot and finished with a massive water fight in Battersea Park. Take that Corona. What more could you want from summer?”

The report is mainly photo-based, so you’ll really see how 106 young people (and their parents) benefited from getting out of their flats and involved in positive and physical activities (such as sports, arts, cooking and wellbeing workshops). They let off lots of steam, after 4 months being stuck inside, and loved seeing their friends. It was a summer focused on their mental and physical wellbeing; and we’re continuing some of that work supporting them to settle back into school.

“My boys are so happy they had a lot of fun and did a lot of exercise, before they at home all the time going crazy and fighting with each
other.” Love to Learn parent

Please share it 

We hope you find the report interesting, informative and fun. Let us know what you think; and please do share it far and wide.

Download our summer report

KLS Love to Learn – Summer report